Tortilla Soup

Rumor has it that tortilla soup is supposed to have shredded chicken in it so I was trying to think of the best veggie protein for shredding and the closest I could come up with was frozen tofu. Turns out it can't really be shredded, but it can be torn and it totally works in this tortilla soup recipe. The tofu recipe is from Tofu Cookery, the world's best tofu cookbook.

1 lb tofu, frozen, thawed*
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp cumin

3 corn tortillas, cut into strips
oil for frying

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic (I leave it whole and just use it to flavor the oil but you can mince it and leave it in)
1/2 small jalapeño, chopped
4 cups veg broth
14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

avocado, cheese, and cilantro for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350.
Whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, and cumin until smooth. Tear the thawed tofu into small bite-size pieces and toss with the peanut butter mixture. Spread out the tofu pieces in 1 layer on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy. Set aside and try not to snack on them.

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with oil. Fry tortilla strips in a single layer until crispy. Drain on paper towels, set aside and try not to snack on them.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and jalapeno in oil for a few minutes until soft. Remove garlic if you left it whole. Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and blend with an immersion blender. Add tofu and heat until the tofu is hot again. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

Here it is with my new favorite recipe, Seitan Fajitas.

*To freeze tofu, cut firm (non-silken) tofu into 4 equal squares (or more if you want it to freeze faster) and wrap each square separately in foil. It's best to let it freeze over night but smaller pieces shouldn't take more than a few hours. You know they're ready when they've turned into yellow tofu bricks. To thaw, put bricks into bowls of hot water, replacing the water every few minutes until you get tofu sponges. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the tofu sponges.